HELP - Need advice on Expressing

[mcnoodle]

I am going away this weekend (first time since 8 month old ds was born) and will need to express to keep myself comfortable and maintain supply.

Do I need to empty each boob or should I just express a small amount to make sure my norks don't explode? What effect will this have on my supply?

Hoping someone out there can advise.

Breast feeding works on supply and demand. If you only express a little bit, your body will just replace that amount. Over a few days this could begin to affect your supply but it should soon get back to normal once you are feeding again. I would express as much as I can, in line with the normal feeding times.

Are you planning to keep the milk?

At 8 months, your supply shoudl be well and truely established so if ti were me, I wouldn't worrying about emptying them totally and religiusly sticking to feed times.

However, saying that, if it were me, I would probably pretty much empty them as I hate wasting precious EBM

Lucky you getting a weekend away!

ooops - total oppostie of the other post

Not planning to keep expressed milk as going on a hen weekend. Am hoping to be expressing pure vodka not fit for baby consumption!

If I just express a bit to keep me comfy, will my supply be ok when I get back? Will be away three days (am dreading it, but so looking forward to hangovers and lie ins).

Don't want to mess it all up and have to stop bf.

fwiw
one weekend i had to work at short notice
fed baby in morning then didnt express til 3:30pm - got loads then did evening feed
if you can do it 3 times inthe day that shoud be ok

let me check a website for you to see if they have advice

I just erred on the side of caution with my post. I agree with Popsy that supply should be established by now, but just to be sure I would express what I can. It will probably be fine if you "just take the edge off" though.

FWIW If I were going on a hen weekend, i would try to do it three times a day just to be comfortable, though the farce of the evening expressing would be rather amusing

Thanks! Have been lent a proper medela electric pump all nicely stored in a rucksack. You may see me on the news if I get arrested for trying to smuggle a bomb on the plane (going to Poland)! Will be forced to give customs officers a full demo .

Another question - have been expressing this week but am pretty crap at it and have only managed to get 3 feeds together, which dh can give at bedtime. My friend has loads of the stuff stored in her fridge. Is it weird and freakish to give ds some of hers?! DH is repulsed by the mere thought, but might not be so repulsed if it gives him an easy life. Have I gone stark staring mad or would anyone else do this?

Sorry that should be freezer

many people donate breastmilk to hospitals for premature babies
but it is screened for infections etc
not suggesting that your mate's milk is infected btw but lots of testing is usually done when people donate milk

have you tried breast compression when expressing?
or fenugreek to boost your supply?

how would you feel about leaving some formula to supplement? how is your baby with solids?

lots of questions sorry

btw I am just an expressing mummy - not properly qualified to give advice btw

i left baby for 3 days at 5 mths and expressed more\or less when wd feed while away (and chucked the milk). no problem with supply whatsoever..just need to drink lots of water and be quite disciplined about expresssing (no matter how much, frequency v important(

Hadn't thought about infections. Am happy to leave formula, not precious about it, and he is on three square meals a day. He's not actually that bothered with his day time milk feeds anyway so think dh will be ok.

Thanks so much for your help .

no worries
but if you do want to do some 'power expressing' in the meantime try this....

breast compression

Ii am a big fan...can usually get another ounce or so when you think the flow has stopped...some people have even more success

hth
and enjoy your hen weekend!